Improvement in travelers for jib-sheets



H. S. LAWSON.

TRAVELERS FOR NIB-SHEETS.

Patented Mayl, 1877.

I12 067%)".- #007 MM 1911 E1. 6. WW6

",Peran's, FHOTO-LITNOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. n c.

UNITED SATES PATENT QFFIG.

HENRY S. LAWSON, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN TRAVELERS FOR JlB-SHEETS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 190,226, dated May 1, 1877; application filed April 7, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY S. LAWSON, of Baltimore, in the county of Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Traveler for J ib- Sheets; and that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 represents a top view of a portion of a vessels deck, with an ordinary travelerbar, and my spring-catch attachments to retain the traveler-ring at either end of said bar. Fig. 2 represents a perspective view of my device.

My invention relates to certain devices to be used in connection with the ordinary metallic traveler-bar, upon which a traveler-ring attached to the lower corner of the jib-sheet can slide, and be .retained by them at either end of said bar when the vessel is working to windward until it is desired to go about, and said traveler-ring can be released by the man at the helm, or otherwise.-

My invention consists in the peculiar construction of the spring-catch attachments used in connection with a solid round-bar traveler, as will hereafter be described.

The deck of a vessel is represented at A, and B represents, a horizontal bar extending across the vessel. This bar is bent at its extremities, and securely fastened to the deck. It is generally made of round bar-iron, without any groove or indentation, and carries a ring or traveler, O, which is connected, by

means of a pulley and rope, c, to the lower corner of the jib. This traveler O has heretofore generally been attached to the gunwale of the vessel, and when it is necessary to tack or change the course of the vessel the jib must be held until the vessel is ready for stays. In some instances it is very dangerous to manage the jib when the vessel is lying with its gunwale submerged in water, as the traveler is rapidly thrown from one side to the other. To facilitate the operation and remove all danger, I have provided spring-catch attachments to be applied near each extremity of the traveler-bar B. Each attachmentis constructed as follows: A standard, D, is securely fastened to the deck at a short distance from one end of the bar B. It has, near its top, a square neck, upon which is placed, first, a brace, d, as additional security to the standard. Then the perforated end of a strong spring, E, is placed over the square neck of the standard, and thus, or by any equivalent means, retained immovable. A catch or latch, G, is placed upon the cylindrical end of the standard as a pivot, and the whole is secured to the standard by a nut or riveted washer, f. The free end of the spring E bears against the catch Grand forces its hooked portion gagainst the traveler-bar B, and retains the traveler-rin g C until it is released by the helmsman or any other seaman pulling upon the rope H, attached at g to the catch G, and the action of the helmsmanis facilitated by the wind andjib acting upon the ropec and traveler U. When the traveler -ring has reached the opposite latch, it is allowed to pass beyond it by pulling upon the rope H.

in the construction of new vessels or traveler-bars, the standard D and brace 01 may be forged rigidly to the heel of the traveler-bar, and thus the relative positions of the two remain unchangeable. But my device is mainly intended as an attachment to vessels having already in use a plain round traveler-bar, as found in oyster-boats and other light vessels, to which it can be applied. at a small cost.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In combination with the traveler-bar B and traveler-ring O, the spring-catch Gr, pivoted to a standard adjacent to the traveler-bar, substantially as and for the purpose described.

HENRY S. LAWSON.

- Witnesses:

E. (J. WEAVER, E. E. MASSON. 

